User-Interface Design

1. A method to display a graphical user interface object, comprising: obtaining, in a run-time environment, a plurality of values associated with a graphical user interface object, each of the values associated with a display characteristic of a graphical user interface object; identifying, at run-time, a first value from the plurality of values as being associated with a first display resolution of a first attribute of the graphical user interface object wherein the first value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the first display resolution; identifying, at run-time, a second value from the plurality of values as being associated with a second display resolution of the first attribute of the graphical user interface object wherein the second value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the second display resolution; and causing the graphical user interface object to be rendered at the first display resolution by providing the plurality of values except the second value to a rendering engine through one or more application programming interface functions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the obtained plurality of values is associated with a display characteristic of the graphical user interface object that is independent of a display resolution.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of obtaining comprises obtaining the plurality of values from a hierarchically organized file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of obtaining comprises obtaining the plurality of values from a flat file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface object is selected from the group consisting of a pushbutton, a bevel button, a metal button, a disclosure button, a pop-up button, a combo button, a pull-down button, a check box, a radio button, a segmented control, a window title bar, a scroll bar track, a scroll bar thumb, a scrollbar cap, a slider track, a slider thumb, a text field, a progress bar, a progress indicator, a list box, a drawer, and a pane splitter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of causing is performed by an operating system level module.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of obtaining is performed by an operating system level module.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acts of identifying a first value and identifying a second value are performed by an operating system level module.

9. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored thereon for causing the programmable control device to perform a method in accordance with claim 1 .

10. A programmable control device configured to: obtain, in a run-time environment, a plurality of values associated with a graphical user interface object, each of the values associated with a display characteristic of a graphical user interface object; identify, at run-time, a first value from the plurality of values as being associated with a first display resolution of a first attribute of the graphical user interface object wherein the second value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the first display resolution; identify, at run-time, a second value from the plurality of values as being associated with a second display resolution of the first attribute of the graphical user interface object wherein the second value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the second display resolution; and cause the graphical user interface object to be rendered at the first display resolution by providing the plurality of values except the second value to a rendering engine through one or more application programming interface functions.

11. A computer system comprising a plurality of programmable control devices communicatively coupled to each other, at least one of the plurality of programmable control devices programmed to perform at least a portion of the method of claim 1 wherein the entire method of claim 1 is performed collectively by the plurality of programmable control devices.

12. A method to display a graphical user interface object, comprising: obtaining, in a run-time environment, a plurality of values associated with a graphical user interface object, each of the values associated with a display characteristic of a graphical user interface object; identifying, at run-time, a first value from the plurality of values as being associated with a first display resolution of a first attribute of the graphical user interface object wherein the first value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the first display resolution; identifying, at run-time, a second value from the plurality of values as being associated with a second display resolution of the first attribute of the graphical user interface object wherein the second value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the second display resolution; determining a third display resolution with no associated value from the plurality of values for the first attribute; determining a third value based on the first and second values associated with the first and second display resolutions; and causing the graphical user interface object to be rendered at the third display resolution by providing the plurality of values except the first and second values to a rendering engine through one or more application programming interface functions wherein the third value is provided to the rendering engine and the third value affects a display characteristic of the first attribute when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the third display resolution.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the obtained plurality of values is associated with a display characteristic of the graphical user interface object that is independent of a display resolution.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of obtaining comprises obtaining the plurality of values from a hierarchically organized file.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of obtaining comprises obtaining the plurality of values from a flat file.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the graphical user interface object is selected from the group consisting of a pushbutton, a bevel button, a metal button, a disclosure button, a pop-up button, a combo button, a pull-down button, a check box, a radio button, a segmented control, a window title bar, a scroll bar track, a scroll bar thumb, a scrollbar cap, a slider track, a slider thumb, a text field, a progress bar, a progress indicator, a list box, a drawer, and a pane splitter.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of causing is performed by an operating system level module.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of obtaining is performed by an operating system level module.

19. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored thereon for causing the programmable control device to perform a method in accordance with claim 12 .

20. A computer system comprising a plurality of programmable control devices communicatively coupled to each other, at least one of the plurality of programmable control devices programmed to perform at least a portion of the method of claim 10 wherein the entire method of claim 12 is performed collectively by the plurality of programmable control devices.